Momentum
by xxVisionGirlxx
Summary: Lois is on a slippery slope. Lois/Clark


Title: Momentum

Author: The Viz

Summary: Lois finds herself on a slippery slope.

Season: This takes place after the Lois/Ollie breakup - whenever that was. And then it goes CRAZY AU. But wouldn't that have been preferable?

Dedication: I wrote this for Sunrei so she would write me a pretty little ditty. Quid pro quo.

"It's never_ just_ a kiss, Lois."

Over her green ceramic mug of coffee, Chloe looks about as skeptical as Lois has ever seen her. Her brows are pinched together, her mouth a tight line, connecting dots that need not be connected.

"Except when it is," Lois argues. She begins to wonder if confiding in her cousin was the right thing to do. "Look, it happened once. There won't be an encore performance."

"Does Clark know this?"

"It's understood."

Her frown line deepens as Chloe sighs, "Lois…"

"I don't know what you want me to say, Chloe. It happened. It's over. Time to move on."

"And what exactly are you moving on to?"

"The way things were."

"That's regressing."

"What are you? The semantics police?"

"No, I'm your cousin. And Clark's best friend. Positions that entitle me to my two cents." She pauses, and Lois knows it's not to choose her next question, but to give it gravitas. "Are you interested in him?"

"I just broke up with Oliver."

"Months ago. Four to be exact. That excuse has reached its statute of limitations."

"It's not an excuse. Until Ollie, I'd never let myself feel that way about someone, you know? When he left it... hurt. I don't want to put myself through that again."

"Which is why I don't understand how you can be so blasé about recent developments."

"Because he -" Lois struggles to complete the thought. In her mind's eye she sees the farmboy, with his unruly mop of hair and goofy smile. "Clark... He's safe."

"Safe?"

"I don't have to worry about losing myself with him. We're friends, sort of. Tolerate each others presence, barely. We've got this whole superficial orbit thing going on. Never with the deep, you know?"

Chloe lifts a brow. "Are you sure it's that simple?"

"Trust me, Chloe. My relationship with Clark couldn't be more clear."

* * *

><p>She opens the door to find Clark on the other side.<p>

He hesitates for a moment and then drops a quick kiss on her lips. She's surprised that he's gutsy enough to make the move, and so she lets him have it.

He walks into the apartment and she almost doesn't recognize him from behind. Gone are the flannel and workboots, replaced with dark dress slacks and a pair of shoes that aren't steel-toed.

"Nice duds, Smallville. What's the occasion?" she asks, genuinely curious what has him looking a little more GQ and a little less 4H .

His cheeks redden as he unconsciously smooths his appearance.

"I do own things other than plaid." He lifts the small paper bag he has with him. "I, uh, had to run some errands for my mom. I swung by and got take out. Thought you might be hungry."

"From the place you got it last week?"

"Yup."

"Sold." In a flash, Lois is unpacking the contents onto the kitchen table. "You seriously need to tell me where this mystery restaurant is. Their kung pow is out of this world."

A ghost of a smile crosses his lips. "Maybe someday."

Lois sifts around the bottom until she finds a fortune cookie. As she tears open the cellophane wrapper, he steps forward halting her progress.

"Lois, we haven't even eaten yet."

"Spare me the quote from Miss Manners, Smallville. I think outside of the box. Especially when said box involves me waiting to eat this cookie."

She cracks it open and pulls out the tiny slip of paper to read her lucky numbers. 0,2,13. Flips it over to get the fortune.

"It's in Chinese."

Clark holds out his hand.

Lois raises an eyebrow, surprised, but passes it to him anyway. "Don't tell me you can read that."

"Not even a little bit."

Clark tucks the paper into his pocket and goes back to dishing out the spicy noodles.

"You did that last week, too. Kept the fortune."

"Old habit. My dad used to save his. Kept them in our old rolltop desk for luck," he explains. "Don't tell me you've never collected anything before."

Lois scoffs. "Yeah, when I was twelve maybe." She tucks into the fried rice, which is just as good as she remembers. "Mmmmm."

"So what was it?"

"What was what?"

"Your collection. Stamps? Bottle caps?"

"Yeah, back when I collected things in 1944..."

"Lo-is," Clark sighs. He bumps her shoulder with his and she knows he's not letting this drop.

"Rocks."

"Like fossils?"

"No. Like rocks. We moved around a lot. The General would drag us base to base before we could set down any real roots. So when a place started to feel like home, I'd find a rock to remember it. It made me feel like I belonged somewhere -" She trails off and clears her throat. "But that was a long time ago."

"Why did you stop?"

She shrugs, downplaying the pain the subject brings up. "Suitcase got too heavy."

"Oh."

She's revealed to much, but it's nothing new when it comes to him. He gets it out of her.

Clark passes her a spring roll and changes the subject. "I read your article on that... skunk monkey? It was great."

"Skunk ape and don't humor me, Smallville," she says. "I know the Inquisitor isn't the Planet or anything, but it's a start."

"I meant it. It doesn't matter where you are, Lois. Just what you do with it. The Inquisitor is lucky to have you. With articles like that I'm sure you're pulling in a lot of new readers."

Lois rolls her eyes. "Right."

"You got them at least one."

She turns to him, surprised, and he dips his head, capturing her lips. Sweetly. Softly. As if asking permission. And for a reason she chooses not to explore, she curls her hands in his hair and pulls him closer.

* * *

><p>"I've confirmed your meeting with Mayor McDaniel at Callards on the fifteenth. And here's your speech for the Omni Peace fundraiser - proofed and ready to go." As Lois hands Martha the paper she assures her, "I had Chloe look at it, too."<p>

Martha scans it, pleased. "I can't thank you enough for staying on board as my Chief of Staff. I mean, juggling this and the paper - "

"It's fine, Mrs. Kent."

As Lois sets her files on the counter she sees it. A rock. Conspicuously set out next to the salt and pepper shakers.

"My son left it for you," Martha explains, although it sounds like a question. "He didn't mention what it was for."

Lois is still staring. "Oh. Um. Doorstop."

"Well, I hope it's what you were looking for. He was in the garden for twenty minutes picking it out."

Lois slips it into her purse, hoping for Mrs. Kent out of sight means out of mind.

"Do you want me to go through some of those resumes for you?"

"I'm almost finished, actually. I think I've narrowed it down to three," Martha says. "I'll admit it's been a challenge to find a replacement."

"Yeah, my foot-in-mouth record is unrivaled."

"You need to give yourself more credit, Lois. Not many people are as adept at balancing such a long list of responsibilities," Martha tells her. "I have to admit, if it were me, I think I'd be all turned around."

"I'm a soldier's daughter. We don't lose control."

* * *

><p>Lois throws her head back and moans as Clark kisses his way down her throat. Her senses are on the brink of overload, when, suddenly, regretfully, he pulls away.<p>

"You put it out."

She opens her eyes to see he's looking at the garden rock, which sits on the coffee table.

"Oh. Yeah." She blinks, her mind still cottony with lust. "I told Chloe it was a paper weight."

Clark continues to beam with pride.

"Thanks. It was...Thoughtful."

Clark nods. "Well, you said you collected them from places you thought of as home. It's only right you had one from the farm."

"I'm not sure I should I should pick up the habit again. It's cute when you're eight. But at twenty one it's a little strange to be hauling around a duffel bag full of rubble. You get looks."

"Who knows?" he turns to her, shyly. "It may be the last one you need."

She really has to stop kissing him. And she will. But he makes it hard when he says things like that.

* * *

><p>"Are you having sex with Clark?"<p>

Lois chooses to ignore Chloe's tone. "Hello to you, too," she drawls, her attention never leaving the crossword puzzle she's working on.

"Are you?"

"No."

A plaid shirt lands in Lois' lap. "I found his shirt mixed in with your laundry."

"You did my laundry?"

"Lois -"

"Fine. So we fooled around a little bit."

"First it was a kiss that was no big deal. Now you're necking behind the Talon. It's not hard to see where this is leading."

"It was a one time thing," Lois argues. "Okay, a three time thing. But still-"

"You can't keep doing this, Lois! Drawing and re-drawing the line!" Chloe exclaims. "Someone is going to get hurt."

"Chloe, it's casual. We know what we're doing."

"Are you so sure?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No. But I know Clark. He doesn't do casual." Chloe sits beside Lois, her expression losing some of its heat. "And neither do you, Lo."

"Chloe, it's Smallville. I mean, do you really see us going ... there?"

Chloe considers it and shakes her head no, but the concern never leaves her face. "I'm just worried about you. Both of you."

"I know. But you don't have to be," Lois tells her. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Her body is still thrumming as she comes down from the orgasm. Clark's arms are around her, pulling her close. He murmurs into her shoulder. "Love you."<p>

And then it's no longer simple.


End file.
